The idea of ghost MEPs floating around the Parliament could come straight from  Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. How may of us would like to see the ghost of Christmas past, present and future turn up on our doorstep? Maybe for some colleagues it would be a wake up call, like it was for Scrooge, to realise what is truly important in life or with the Budget vote days away some colleagues may think we could learn a thing or two from Scrooge's careful accounting.

The phantom figures of ghost MEPs are not creatures of our imagination but in fact the new MEPs who are created due to the Lisbon Treaty. There would appear to be great uncertainty over whether the new members start on the 1st December or start in the new mandate of the Parliament in 2014. Whoever and what ever their area, they deserve to know whether they will be serving in this mandate of the Parliament and if so facilities, offices and budgets for staffing should be made available for them just as they were for those starting in June 2009.

The one certainty we do have is that on the 1st January the Spanish will take on the Presidency of the Council. The Swedes have worked hard, seeing the Lisbon Treaty come into force and managing the tricky situation over positions for the new President of the Council and High Rep positions. We will see more of their able Europe Minister, former MEP Cecilia Malmstrom as she enters the Commission hearing process. For the Commission candidates as they approach their hearings in the New Year, I don't think there will be much rest for them over the festive season as they learn their portfolios and prepare for one of the toughest grillings they will face in their political careers.  The challenges we face from the financial crisis, unemployment, climate change, international terrorism and global inequalities are the challenges we all need to face together. As 2009 comes to an end and the Christmas holidays approach, I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Good New Year.